Big crowd, high spirits for Obama's second inauguration

Crowds congregate in The National Mall for the ceremonial swearing-in for President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.

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President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama waves as they walk down Pennsylvania Avenue during the 57th Presidential Inauguration parade Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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The U.S. Army band marches down Pennsylvania Avenue en route to the White House, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, in Washington. Thousands marched during the 57th Presidential Inauguration parade after the ceremonial swearing-in of President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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President Barack Obama, first lady Michele Obama, left, Army Major General Michael Linnington, Joint Forces Headquarters, National Capitol Region, center, and Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden, place their hands over their hearts as they review the troops following his ceremonial swearing-in during the 57th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

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President Barack Obama is sworn in during the public ceremony as First lady Michelle Obama looks on during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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US President Barack Obama takes the oath of office in front of First Lady Michelle Obama during the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in at the US Capitol on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. US Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: First lady Michelle Obama and daughters, Sasha Obama and Malia Obama arrive during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden look on during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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US President Barack Obama, surrounded by members of his family, listens to the National Anthem during the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in at the US Capitol on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Beyonc? performs the national anthem as U.S. President Barack Obama looks on during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama greets singer Beyonce after she performs the National Anthem during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: First lady Michelle Obama (L) greets singer Beyonce after she performs the National Anthem during the public ceremonial inauguration for U.S. President Barack Obama on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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Musician James Taylor sings before US President Barack Obama took the oath of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in at the US Capitol on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. The oath was administered by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Kelly Clarkson performs ?My Country Tis of Thee?during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Lee University Choir from Cleveland, TN performs in the bleachers during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Rob Carr/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama looks on during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama gives his inauguration address during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama (2nd R) is seen with Congressional leaders at the beginning of the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in at the US Capitol on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (From L-R) House Majority leader Eric Cantor, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker John Boehner, New York Senator Charles Schumer, and Senator Lamar Alexander. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama arrives during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: People attend the public ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for President Barack Obama as they stand on the National Mall during the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. The President was sworn in for second term.

Photo By Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama arrives during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Mark Wilson/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C), former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrive during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrives during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and wife Amy Rule arrive before the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Mario Tama/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Revelers celebrate in front of the Washington Monument near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall while attending the public Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama was ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Mario Tama/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: People gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall while attending the public Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama was ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: People attend the public ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for President Barack Obama as they stand on the National Mall during the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. The President was sworn in for second term.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama arrives at the carrieage entrance of the U.S. Capitol to begin swearing-in ceremonies on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Recording artists Jay-Z and Beyonce arrive at the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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House Minority Leader Sen. Nancy Pelosi of Calif. arrives on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, for the Presidential Barack Obama's ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) arrives for the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. Sen John McCain (R-AZ) (L) and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) gesture to U.S. Rep. Peter King (R) during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) arrives for the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Sydney Yochum sits on the shoulders of Luis Lauro Lopez near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall as they and others wait for the start of the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Gustavo Cinfuentes (L) and Greg Josken hug near the U.S. Capitol building as they stand on the National Mall waiting for the start of the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Musicians John Mayer and Katy Perry attend the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Mario Tama/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: People wave and cheer at a television camera near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall before the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama, will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Susannah Ward (L) and Daniela Zara and others gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Rickita Glass (L) and Kelly Grimes and others gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Lisa Hogue wears pins as she and others gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Brandon Adamski and Alicia Burke keep warm in a blanket as they and others gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama, will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

Photo By Mario Tama/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial stands at sunrise in front of the Washington Monument before the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama, will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today which coincides the Martin Luther King Day Jr. day, a federal holiday.

Photo By Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: The sun rises before the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: People wave American flags as people gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the Inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama, will be ceremonially sworn in for his second term today.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring "our work begins today", President Barack Obama vowed to "finish what we started" four years ago as hundreds of thousands of inauguration-goers gathered on the historic National Mall in anticipation of his oath-taking for a second term.

"Let's go," Obama tweeted Monday morning as he began the day of inaugural celebrations.

The president was cheered in the streets as his motorcade slowly made its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and arrived at the Capitol. At midday, he was to speak to a huge crowd on the Mall and millions more watching on television, hoping to set an optimistic tone for a divided nation seeking solutions to economic woes at home and conflict overseas.

The fanfare is extending across the nation's capital, including the traditional inaugural parade and a pair of glitzy formal balls.

Obama, along with his family and Vice President Joe Biden, began his day with a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church. Known as "The Church of the Presidents", St. John's is located just across from the White House on the other side of Lafayette Park. Pew 54 is known as "the president's pew" and is reserved for the commander in chief whenever he attends.

The centerpiece of Monday's festivities is Obama's inaugural address. The president will be urging lawmakers to find common ground and will preview his second-term goals, including immigration reform, stricter gun-control laws and an end to the war in Afghanistan.

Obama is also facing fresh concerns about terrorism in North Africa. In the midst of the inaugural celebrations, a U.S. official said two more Americans died in Algeria, bringing the U.S. death toll from a four-day siege at a natural gas plant to three. Seven Americans survived, the official said.

Washington largely shelved its partisan fighting for the three days of inaugural celebrations. Obama, perhaps seeking to start fresh with lawmakers in his second term, invited several members of Congress to the White House before his swearing-in, including the Republican leaders he has been at odds with for the past four years: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Pressing matters await the president and Congress once the celebrations subside, including three looming fiscal deadlines. Obama will also need help from a reluctant Congress if he hopes to fulfill his promise to sign comprehensive immigration reform and tighten gun laws in the wake of last month's school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The mood surrounding Obama's second inaugural is more subdued than it was four years ago, when the swearing in of the nation's first black president drew 1.8 million people to the Mall. Still, organizers were expecting up to 700,000 to attend Monday's events, which would make it the largest second-term inaugural in history.

At least one public viewing area on the National Mall was full two hours before the president's swearing-in, and the crowd spread from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.

The weather forecast was encouraging, to a point. High temperatures were predicted for the lower 40s during the day, with a slight chance of rain and snow showers in the afternoon and flurries later.

Security was tight across Washington, with several streets near the White House and Capitol Hill closed off. Humvees and city buses were being used to block intersections. Volunteers fanned out near the Mall to help direct the crowds.

Lawmakers and other officials slowly trickled onto the platform on the West Front of the Capitol where Obama was to be sworn in. Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich sat next to each other on the folding chairs as they awaited the festivities.

David Richardson of Atlanta and his two young children were among the early crowds heading to the National Mall Monday even before sunrise.

"We wanted to see history, I think, and also for the children to witness that anything is possible through hard work," Richardson said.

Wendy Davis of Rome, Ga., was one of thousands of inaugural attendees who packed Metro trains before sunrise headed for the Capitol and parade route. Davis came four years ago as well but was among the many ticketholders who couldn't get in because of the massive crowds. She was determined to get in this time.

"I thought I was early last time but I obviously wasn't early enough," she said.

By 8 a.m. thousands of people were also waiting in security lines that stretched a block to gain access to the spots along the parade route that were accessible to the general public without a special ticket.

The cold weather was easily tolerated by Marie-France Lemaine of Montreal, who received the trip to the inaugural as a birthday present from her husband. She headed up an Obama advocacy group in Quebec that cheered on the president from north of the border.

"The American president affects the rest of the world," she said.

The president was officially sworn-in shortly before noon on Sunday, in keeping with the Constitution's mandate that presidents begin their new term on Jan. 20. But because inaugural ceremonies are historically not held on Sundays, the public celebration was pushed to Monday, coinciding with the birthday of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state under former President George W. Bush, called on Obama to put electoral politics aside in his second term if he hopes to accomplish those objectives.

"It requires now a kind of humility and a reaching across the aisle," Rice said on CBS "This Morning. "And reaching across the aisle, by the way, means reaching out to Americans who may not have voted for him."

Following his swearing-in, Obama will attend the traditional luncheon with lawmakers before joining marching bands and floats in the inaugural parade, which winds its way from Capitol Hill to the White House.

The president and first lady will then slip into formalwear for two swanky inaugural balls. That's far fewer than the 10 they attended after the 2009 inauguration, though this year's events are still expected to draw up to about 40,000 people.

The centerpiece of Monday's activities was Obama's inaugural address. Aides said he would make the case that the nation's founding values can still guide the country through changing times. He is not expected to outline specifically policy proposals, saving them instead for his Feb. 12 State of the Union address.

Some Americans, weary after four years of shaky economic news, implored Obama to focus on patriotism, not politics, in his remarks.

"I'm just hoping for a nice eloquent speech that makes people feel good about being an American," said Sean Payton, a 32-year-old Democrat from Highland Ranch, Colo.

Monday's celebrations bring to a close three days of inaugural fanfare across Washington, including a day of service, a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and a concert honoring military families.

The quirk in the calendar meant Obama would end up being sworn in for his second term twice. Sunday's ceremony was an intimate gathering at the White House, with only a dozen family members on hand to witness Chief Justice John Roberts administer the oath of office.

Obama placed his hand on a Bible used for years by Michelle Obama's family. On Monday, he'll take the oath using two — one owned by King and one by Abraham Lincoln.

Vice President Joe Biden was also to be sworn in for the second term a second time Monday. Biden took the oath of office Sunday at the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by Obama as the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court, administered the oath to Biden, who placed his hand on a Bible his family has used since 1893.

Ahead of his swearing-in Sunday, Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, solemnly honored the nation's fallen soldiers during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. On a crisp, sun-splashed morning, Obama and Biden placed a large wreath adorned with red, white and blue ribbon, in front of Arlington's Tomb of the Unknowns. Holding their hands over their hearts, the two leaders stood motionless as a bugler played taps.